Sam "Bam" Cunningham, the Patriots' all-time leading rusher and a member of both the Patriots Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame, passed away Tuesday in Inglewood, Calif. No cause of death was immediately given. He was 71.
The Patriots drafted Cunningham in the first round of the 1973 draft, and he went on to play his entire career -- nine seasons -- with the team. His 5,453 career rushing yards remain the most in franchise history, while his 43 career rushing touchdowns rank second.
Cunningham was named a Pro Bowler in 1978 when he led a Patriots ground attack that set the NFL record for rushing yards in a season by a team with 3,165. The record stood for 41 years before finally being broken by the 2019 Baltimore Ravens.
Nationally, Cunningham is even better known for his college career at USC. He has often been credited with helping to integrate southern football thanks to his performance in a 1970 game at Alabama.
Facing an all-white Crimson Tide team, Cunningham and USC's "all-black backfield" dominated in a 42-21 USC win, with Cunningham racking up 135 yards and two touchdowns.
The performance is credited with shattering the illusion that Alabama could still be an elite team without integrating, something coach Bear Bryant's team would finally do the following season. College Football Hall of Fame coach and former Alabama assistant Jerry Claiborne famously said, "Sam Cunningham did more to integrate Alabama in 60 minutes than Martin Luther King did in 20 years."
Cunningham was named an All-American during the Trojans' 1972 national championship season and was named the MVP of the 1973 Rose Bowl after scoring four touchdowns, which still stands as the modern-day Rose Bowl record.
Cunningham, who was the older brother of quarterback Randall Cunningham, was inducted into both the Patriots Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
